Over the course of the typical editorial year, we examine and test lots of aviation products and services. We like to think we’re the professional shoppers of aviation journalism and we have the VISA statements to back up the claim. (By the way, if you think manufacturers give us the stuff we try out, you’re mistaken. We either buy it or borrow and return it.)

Our holy grail is to pit one product against another—or sometimes a bunch of others—and decide which ones come out on top so you, the reader and the buyer, can make an intelligent purchasing decision. Because we accept no commercial advertising, we’re quite comfortable with warts-and-all…